Field
The disclosure generally relates to the field of distributing live media or digital content, and in particular, to promoting the live media or digital content.
Description of the Related Art
Live streams of media are broadcast to people on a daily basis, thereby allowing viewers to watch live events such as the sports, concerts, and speeches. Many platforms such as YOUTUBE™ stream live streams to users of the platform. However, a challenge faced by a live stream creator or distributor today is reaching an audience for a live stream. Often live stream creators or distributors must expend a huge budget marketing their event months prior to the event occurring to make users aware of the event and encourage users to watch the live stream of the event.
A content server stores digital content including video, audio, image, animation, or text content, which users of the content server may view and/or upload. For example, users request to view videos via a webpage or mobile device and the content server on receiving a request for a video from a user, provides the user with the video. In one embodiment, the content server receives live media streams from content distributors, and distributes the live streams to users of the content server. The live streams are digital content representing live events, such as a sports match, and are captured in real time. The content server provides the content distributor with the option of promoting live streams as advertisements to users of the content server, thereby making users of the content server aware of a live event available to the users of the content server to view live via the live stream.
Users of the content server often request to view one or more videos stored on, or available via the content server. The content server to promote live streams of live events may provide users with live-stream pre-roll ads along with the requested videos, to make users of the content server aware of a live event captured by a live stream provided by the content server. Users may interact with the live-stream pre-roll ad, pausing the live-stream ad for example, or may choose to view the live stream provided by the content distributor via the content server instead of the video initially requested by the user. Thus, by generating and serving portions of a live stream as a pre-roll ad, the content server makes users of the content server who may be interested in viewing the live stream of a live event aware of the live stream and the current event being captured by the live stream.
To provide the user with a live-stream pre-roll ad, the content server receives and prepares live streams to be served as live-stream pre-roll ads to users of the content server. The content server transcodes the received live streams so a variety of client devices having different video compatibilities may be served a version of the live stream. The content server also buffers the versions of the live stream, thereby allowing the content server to transmit the buffered live stream as an advertisement to the user, providing the user with a smooth, uninterrupted viewing experience.
In one example, the content server provides content distributors with a user interface, via which the content distributors may specify publishing information associated with the live stream. In another example, the content server provides the users of the content server with a user interface to interact with the live-stream ads as the live-stream ads are presented to the users of the content server.
The content server receives a request for a video from a client device. The content server identifies the video requested by the user and metadata associated with the identified video. The content server, based on the metadata determines whether to serve the client device with a live-stream ad, for example as a pre-roll ad, along with the video requested by the user. The content server identifies a buffered live-stream ad to transmit to the client device along with the requested video. In one example, the content server measures the interactions of the user with the live-stream ad, and stores the interactions, for example whether the user interacted with a pause control (served to the user via user interface along with the live-stream ad), thereby pausing the live-stream ad. In another example, the live-stream ad is presented to the user for a period of time, after which the video requested by the user is presented to the user.